Douglas Scott Legal Recruitment has opened a new London office.

The Manchester-based firm, which also has offices in Liverpool and Leeds, has recruited senior consultant Jon-Paul Hanrahan to lead the team, which also includes Craig Heywood and Hannah Allan. Further recruitment is planned for early 2012.

*Waitrose is to open its first store in the Preston area in February after Trafford-based contractor Russells Construction completed the £1.5m refurbishment of a former bowling alley. The new store, at the Capitol Centre in Walton-le-Dale, will create 200 jobs. Russells was appointed by landlord Royal London Asset Management.

*Construction safety firm Innov8 Safety Solutions has announced a raft of wins in the chemical, health and education sectors. New clients include Perstorp, Ellis Williams Architects and the Mid-Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Manchester-based Innov8 specialises in site safety and management work on large construction projects.

*Arley Homes has secured permission to build 21 new homes in Nantwich, Cheshire. The Warrington-based developer will build the two, three, four and five bedroom homes in Hastings Road.
Work will start in the new year and is due for completion by the autumn.

*Plastic Card Services has retained the contract to produce biodegradable ID cards for higher education organisation UCAS. The Macclesfield-based company has already manufactured 560,000 cards for UCAS over the last three years.

*Carroll Design has won the contract to design the interior of a new Birmingham restaurant for San Carlo Group. The Manchester interior designer was recruited to work on the new restaurant, called Fumo, after the success of its design for the group's Cicchetti venue in Manchester's King Street West. Fumo, in Waterloo Street, is due to open in April.

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